Virginia Louise Fuller Semple's Obituary
Virginia Fuller-Semple, 87 Virginia Louise Fuller-Semple passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Virginia was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She came to California as a young girl and as an adult spent a few years living down in Florida. She also drew up blueprints and built her dream house in Hawaii after her husband died. As a young lady, Virginia enjoyed choir, tree-climbing and playing basketball with her brothers. She was a champion runner and swimmer and also a Jitter Bug Champion at the dance hall-she performed with her partner as part of the USO during World War II. Virginia once said, “I had to have so much talent. I always had freckles and red hair. But my mother and sisters were just beautiful!” At the age of 19 she became the first female lifeguard ever hired on the west coast. (Being a “Boys Club” they refused to allow her in, but Virginia was persistent and passed their tests with flying colors!) Virginia has published works of poetry and she’s had her artwork featured in several exhibits. Her favorite medium was watercolor pencils. Always filled with a sense of adventure, in 1951 Virginia and her husband Jim took a road trip on Harley Davidson motorcycles from Pasadena, California to Salt Lake City, Utah and on out to Bryce Canyon. Virginia had fond memories of camping and traveling with her family from Florida to Yellowstone to Yosemite to the Grand Canyon. Virginia always had a compliment for everyone. She never failed to find beauty around us in our everyday world. Virginia has resided at Sunshine Care Homes in Poway, CA since 2002 where she served as a member of the Resident Activity Council, painted in the Memories in the Making Art Class, sang with the Sunshine Choir, enjoyed dances, BINGO, Garden Club and intergenerational activities. Another fascinating thing we learned about Virginia is her family line. She could trace it back to her great, great, great, great Grandfather Fuller’s 1620 arrival on the Mayflower! -He was the doctor on ship. Arrangements are being handled by Greenwood Memorial and services will be held at Sunshine Care Homes on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. 12695 Monte Vista Road, Poway, CA 92064. Graveside services will be held Wednesday, March 16 at 1:30 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial. 4300 Imperial Ave, San Diego, CA 92113. For more information on the graveside service please contact 619-264-3131.Virginia is survived by her niece Linda Miller, nephews John Miller and Jack Grubbs and her many wonderful friends at Sunshine Care Homes. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Caregiver Fund at Sunshine Care Homes www.sunshinecare.com or to the nonprofit organization CURE: Citizens United for the Research of Epilepsy www.cureepilepsy.orgArrangements under the direction of Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Avenue. San Diego, California.
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